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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

One of the foremost questions that many people ask is what they can do about obtaining valuable information and communicating with other people during times of crisis. Let’s face it our cell phones may not be much use to us after the emergency generators that operate the cell phone towers run out of fuel and are effectively dead.

For your short range use there is always inexpensive walkie talkies. Some of them actually work very well while others are mere toys.

Perhaps many of you may be considering purchasing a ham radio for this purpose. When you do think about one of these long term radios you must also be aware that you will need the appropriate power and accessories to go with it. Will you construct a twenty foot tower to place you ham radio antenna on?

I myself have found that the ham radio route could be a tad too expensive plus it ends up being very restrictive. It is only usable at your home and in the event that you have to bug out then your equipment would need to stay at your house. Of course there are mobile units available but we are talking home based equipment at this time. Therefore, I myself do not intend to get involved with long range communications. There is a good possibility that I would extend this to include at least a multiband receiver so that I could monitor the various broadcasts and keep informed as to what was happening. In this way I could check the shortwave bands, the broadcast frequencies as well as various ham transmissions.

Most of my family is well aware of what their responsibilities are during a serious situation and they also know what they must do. It is up to them to ensure that they do exactly as we have planned. Once the cells phone towers are down it will be too late for any sort of communications. In that sense most of my associates who will be staying with me know that I am remaining at my home and therefore they will be coming to me. As you can see there really is no major need for communications at all. Out of the sense of safety we will not go after anyone who does not show up when they are suppose to. Although you may think that this is callus and hard you must remember that every organization must have some guidelines and rules for which they have to follow.

I realized the other day that I hadn’t done an EDC post yet, so here it is! I do split EDC, meaning that some stuff I carry on my person but most of it I carry in my bag. There are two reasons for this, one I sit at a computer all day and do not like to have my pockets filled with stuff. I only wear cargo style pants so I always have plenty of pockets to drop things into as needed, but I don’t like to sit at my desk with anything in them. Secondly, as a geek I carry my computer EVERYWHERE I go and I carry it in my EDC bag. If you ever see the bag pictured on the right, it is probably following me like a monkey on my back.

My laptop is next to my bag in this picture but when I’m on the move it is riding in the back pocket of my bag. The power cord and several other electronic gadgetry goes in the second pocket on the bag. I like to be able to work and get on the internet wherever I happen to find myself so my bag contains in essence a portable office. Now, for the other stuff I keep in my bag:

That’s everything in my supplies pocket. Here’s what all that and the stuff I do carry on my person looks like dumped out:

From top left to bottom right, this is what you’re looking at:

Camera Bag - obviously I was using the camera to take the pictures but I keep it in that bag along with some spare batteries and a couple memory cards. I find it invaluable to always have a camera with me. The one I carry is a Nikon CoolPix P50.

Passport - I keep this in my bag for a couple reasons, the main one being if I become separated from my wallet (like leaving it at home) I’ve usually got my bag with me, and with my passport with me I still have ID. Plus, if I ever need to flee the country on a moments notice…… just kidding

Lockblade Knife - on the next row is the knife that permanently lives in my pockets

Pocket Caribiner - I keep this little collection in my pocket most of the time. We’ll go through it in a bit

Advil - I always have a bottle of advil in my bag, my glovebox, in my drawer at work, on my dresser at home…. I hate getting headaches!

U.S. Constitution - It’s covered by the altoids box but I keep this booklet with the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in my bag.

Emergency Whistle/compass/flashlight/timepiece - on the next row is a handy combo survival widget

Bag Caribiner - This collection stays in my bag, we’ll go through it next

Mini Water Filter/straw - this water filter is the type you attach a straw to, insert the opposite end into water and suck through the straw. Can be used in a glass, a stream, a puddle on the ground - whatever

FRS Radio - I have a HAM license but not a portable radio yet. The FRS radio will at least give me some communications ability along with my cell phone

Verizon EVDO Card - this is a cellular network USB Modem. It allows me to get high speed internet access wherever I have Verizon cellular service - which is just about everywhere. I’ve hiked to the top of several mountains with my bag on my back and relaxed on the peak and gotten on the internet just for fun

Today’s show covers the formalized planning and documentation process I have personally developed to handle any situation where bugging out is required. This plan is designed to keep decision making logical and get family members in touch with each other and to rally points on the way to your Bug Out Location should the ability to rally at home firt be compromised.

Tune in today to hear…

Planning your initiaion sequence and requirements

Setting up and utilizing means of communicaiton during a bug out

Know where to go - 3 locations - 3 routes and for both long distance and short distance

Procedures for arrival and waiting and departing rally points

The need for full documentation including maps, plans and contact data

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show.

Many readers of Survival Blog are either in the process of moving to a lightly populated area or actively planning to bugout to such an area when the balloon goes up. Twenty years ago I moved from the edge of a large city to a fairly remote property, and have been quietly setting up the doomstead and perfecting skills ever since. In the process, I became part of the fabric of country life here and have learned some valuable lessons which may benefit the rookie country dweller.

Most full-time country residents are descendents of frontiersmen who ventured into the wilderness with little more than a rifle, axe, team of horses, and a large supply of guts. Country people hold many of the same attributes as their forebears; competence, toughness, perseverance, and a willingness to help their neighbors, be it for common defense or a barn raising. Many of these traits are at odds with modern city life supported by a specialized full-time job. Your transition to country life will be smoother if you consider the following:

Country People are Closet Doomers:They can do lots of useful things such as shoe a horse, grow corn, weld, back a trailer, milk a goat, make tamales, catch a wild cow, troubleshoot an electrical problem, can a tomato, and shoot lights out. And that's just the women.

People here are armed every day as a matter of course. Most have been shooting all of their lives, so the level of firearms proficiency is way above average. I see lots of casual ARs and scoped bolt actions, so if my neighbors and acquaintances are any barometer, potential rampaging MZBs are in for some exceedingly tough sledding.On a related note, there are a few bad apples in the country, but most tend to migrate to the anonymity of the cities. The outlaws who remain are generally well known to both law enforcement and the population at large, and are easy enough to avoid once you plug into the local grapevine.

Be Scrupulously Honest:Country people don't care that much what you think or how you wear your hair as long as they can trust you. Lie or stiff a merchant one time and in 45 minutes everyone in the county will know it, guaranteed.

On the flip side, if you've been given too much change or an error is made in your favor with a bank deposit or charge purchase at a merchant, politely point out the mistake and insist on paying the correct amount. While such a gesture will usually be met with stunned disbelief in a large city, in the country it will be acknowledged with a nod and sincere appreciation. And never doubt for an instant that the country grapevine will work in your favor as the word spreads.

When I first moved here, I was able to open an account with any business in town simply by asking if I could charge a purchase. No references, no questions, no credit check, just an address so they could send a statement at the end of the month. Such an accommodating policy would most certainly not have been the case had I been late in paying those first bills.

Money is Overrated:Country people never forget a kindness; they also rarely forget a transgression against good manners or honesty. The most valuable commerce in the country is not conducted in dollars but in trading, gifts, being owed a favor, and goodwill.

Become Part of the Community:Self-sufficiency is a worthy goal, but in truth perhaps the most useful survival skill is contributing to a community which has a stake in your well being. To my mind, being able to call upon neighbors for specialized assistance or trade is just as important as beans, bullets, and Band-Aids.

Schools and churches are the glue which binds a country community. If you have children in local schools or choose to attend church, tapping into country networks will be greatly accelerated.Also, small communities run largely on volunteers, so consider volunteering at the library, as a fireman, at sports fund raisers, community cleanup, or meals on wheels. JWR Adds: If you homeschool your kids, be sure to join the local homeschooling "co-op" group. You will be sure to meet the preparedness-minded folks in your community.

The Country is a Time Warp:Time passes slower here, as it's based more on the seasons than on a clock.Fight the city urge to hurry everywhere. Tasks are completed when time, required supplies, and any needed help are available, and not on an arbitrary schedule. Parts are generally not readily available as they are in a city, you might have to order a particular part and wait days or weeks for it to arrive, and perhaps have to improvise in the meantime.The two main time-related lessons you’ll learn is that weather can throw a kink into any plan, and maintaining household water supply trumps almost every other concern. You’ll soon adopt a mañana attitude about most other projects, as there is always plenty more to be done while waiting for specific parts or supplies.Slow down enough to take time to talk about the weather, trade recipes, talk gardening, help a neighbor with a project, and to watch a sunset.

Seek Out Those with Useful Skills Now:Country life requires a generalist rather than a specialist, so trading your particular skills – whether carpentry, electrical expertise, or knowing what’s wrong with a row of beans - with neighbors in exchange for their skills just makes sense. In fact, there is even a term here, “neighboring”, which refers to a group effort of working each landowner’s livestock in turn without hiring outside help.I have also become acquainted with various people who have huge gardens or dairy goats or sheep or hogs or teams of horses and mules or a small band saw mill for making lumber. Such people often don’t advertise and they may be hard to find, but the search is potentially of huge benefit to the astute survivalist.

As an example, there is a man here who has an old steam-powered grain mill. Another has a tiny combine for harvesting wheat and oats in the scattered small plots where it is grown in this area. Up until now, I haven’t used their unique services, but still make it a point to give these men a quart of honey from our hives every summer.You will choose to help many of these people in time of trouble, just as they will choose to help you, but in the meantime always exercise OPSEC about your underlying motivations and preps. Country people have a wide independent streak so your desire to be more self-sufficient will never seem out of place.

Country People are Provincial:But largely by choice, which doesn't mean they are stupid or uninformed. The vast majority are Internet savvy and many are exceptionally well-traveled and well-read. More than a few have made the decision to leave a lucrative city existence in exchange for country life. The level of overall awareness is high, so you'll hear more commonsense over a cup of coffee than you'll ever hear from Washington.A few recent quotes I’ve heard regarding our current economic meltdown:“I was going to sell all of my calves last fall but held back four in case my freezers start to look empty.”“We’re breaking some new garden ground this spring, going to plant a lot more potatoes than we usually do.”"I bought two more cases of .223 ammo, just in case the rabbits go on the warpath.” Listen and learn.

Never Underestimate the Amount of Work Involved:Few farms or ranches here are entirely self-supporting, with one or both spouses usually working a “regular” job. The pay scale is considerably lower than in a city, so often people work two or even three jobs in order to live well. This is in addition to farming and working livestock on their own places. People work hard, and that’s in relatively good times.

If this economy continues to unravel, more subsistence-level farming and ranching may well become the norm, and that’s when the work really begins. Growing and processing most or all of your own food requires a tremendous amount of labor and expertise, with constant effort from everyone involved. Have no illusions about some idyllic country life of sitting on the porch all day, chewing on a grass stem while contemplating the vista. The trick for making subsistence agriculture work is for everyone to always be doing something constructive, whether it’s hoeing weeds in the garden, building a chicken coop, shelling beans, cleaning a firearm, playing with a toddler, or rereading one of your how-to books.

With that said, no family or survival group can possibly be competent at all of the skills required. This is when being on good terms with neighbors becomes essential; give them half of a fresh beef now for the cheese they can provide later on; the pickles you made are a fair trade for his baskets of peaches; your stash of supplies may well allow you to trade for a rooster and five hens (along with some expert advice on getting started); if you can provide the diesel, your neighbor might plow your garden plot after your tractor has thrown a rod. - Bois d'Arc

A few days ago, I received an email from Santa. No...really, I did!! lol Santa from West Virginia suggested that we do a post on Emergency Communications. Since this is a very important topic and I have zero experience, Santa graciously offered to do a post for us! Yay!! If you have any questions, Santa can be reached at wvsantaclaus@aol.com Thank you so much for this!!!

“Emergency communication”I wanted to see what the thoughts would be from our neighbors to the North on this subject. I have only recently been following this blog site and have been amazed with all the great information that people are posting. The one thing that seems to get very little attention is how we plan to talk with one another when the land line phones, cell phones and the internet are at best unreliable or non existent. If any of you are getting small groups together to try to survive the hard times ahead (at this point seems inevitable) then you will need to have a plan to be able to communicate with each other. There are several options that you may want to consider and prep for. The three most readily available means to do this would be GMRS/FRS radios, CB radios, and Ham radio. I am not familiar with Canadian law on rather you need Government issued licenses for the different radios, other than Ham radio, that you will need a license for.

Now for the pros and cons.

GMRS/FRS: These are very good for short distances with very little terrain interference. These are probably good for about 1 to 2 miles more or less depending on your location. They are very small and easy to carry with small antennas built in. One draw back to these is their range if you are in a city environment or in the mountains. The other draw back is the need for batteries.

CB radios: These have been around for a very long time and are readily available and fairly cheap at yard sales and flea markets. The range on these are much greater and when combined with a “linear” amplifier even better. (Check your local laws about the amplifier) While I will not advocate using these with a linear, (against the law here but not really enforced) in the past I have done this and have on many occasions talked from here in West Virginia to people in Canada. These radios come in many different forms, from plain 40 channel models to what here in the states are referred to as export radios. These export radios go way outside of the 40 channel cb band both below and above the 27.695 to 27.405 MHZ frequency range of the 40 channel models. Most of these “export” model radios are also more powerful than the standard cb, but also more$$$. These radios come in plug in the wall type for home use. There are also mobile versions normally used in a vehicle that work on 12 VDC power. These can also be used at home with either a power supply or on a solar and battery power setup. The cb type radios also need a much bigger antenna than the GMRS/FRS radios, but if you select the right antenna they are still reasonably portable and easy to set up with limited skills. One big draw back to the standard CB radio here is the foul mouthed people that are heard on the airwaves. (As I stated about the linear even though they are regulated by the Government the rules are rarely if ever enforced)

I saved the best for last.

Ham radio or Amateur radio: This has the best of all types of communication available, but these do require a license to operate and are very well organized and self regulated (No trash talk like the CB) by the people that chose to become ham operators. The entry level in ham radio is fairly cheap to get started in as there are many used radios around. Under the new licensing structure with a little studying anyone should be able to pass the test very easy. As you move up in the 3 levels of licensing here in the states you get more frequency range to use and more powerful radios along with that. While this is a great hobby it can get rather expensive once you move up in the levels of licensing do to the cost of the equipment. As I said though I saved the best for last. I am in no way wealthy but I have managed over the last 2 years to set up a rather nice base station .Since I got my ham license I have talked all around the world with a good mid line radio and well made antennas at home. Almost all of my antennas are home made and most are simple to conceal wire antennas strung up in the trees on my property. This type set up is also very portable if need be and can be setup almost anyplace. My work truck is also set up with radios and again I have made contacts all over the world from it. To give you an example back when I had a 2 hour commute very early in the morning, I would check in to the Early Bird net and there were regulars there everyday from Florida to Canada and from the east coast to the mid west and I was able to talk with most, if not all of those people while driving down the road. WOW it does not get much better than that. I could go on for ever on this topic but I would rather hear from some of our Northern neighbors if anyone is interested in hearing more. My home station at the moment has most of the wire antennas taken down to clear off some timber but they will be back up soon and I hope some of you will read this and maybe get on the airwaves to talk. I did find a few web sites for Canada so if you want to find out more info check them out. Feel free to ask if you have any questions I will do my best to help.God Bless all from the hills of Wild and Wonderful West VirginiaSanta

After cleaning out both my storage units I realized that one critical item was missing from my house here in the valley.I have no closets!Not only do I not have any closets I have no storage space other than the kitchen cabinets.Right now the 30 plus buckets of food and miscellaneous storage totes are divided between the bathroom and sunroom.Here is what I am doing to permanently stow these items.

I built a 16 inch platform for my bed. With my mattress I sleep roughly 28 inches off the floor. I am fine with this but had to build some steps for the dogs.This created a 5 by 6 foot space capable of holding 30 buckets.The under bed storage contains mostly totes right now.

The dogs love lying on footstools pushed against the windows.They sit there all day guarding the house.I am planning a 3 by 5 foot window seat covered with an old piece of foam rubber I picked up by a dumpster.I used to have a couple of old futon mattresses in front of the windows but they were huge and afforded no storage.The new window seat should be able to store 15 buckets and offers additional seating when necessary.

I keep 4 buckets under the coffee table.This could have been sized to hold many more but the rugs are shaken outside for cleaning so you don’t really want to move 15 buckets each week.Four buckets are also used as end tables.

Eventually most of the buckets will be placed in a root cellar but I won’t be building that until this summer.

If you are planning a very small house do not overlook the storage.If you are stockpiling several years worth of food the storage space is essential.

I have always been a big proponent of financial freedom. The only way to be financially free is to owe as little money as possible. This way you can poke "the man" in the eye with your thumb when he tries to play games with you. If you are beholden to a bunch of debt, you can NEVER be truly free.

Everyone likes stuff, we all like stuff and we all like the stuff other people have. The first way to become financially free is to stop needing stuff. There is a huge difference betweeen needing and wanting. Many times we confuse the two. You need things to stay alive, you want things...well...just because you do. It is as simple as that. You need someplace to live, you need food & water, you need clothes, you need transportation. Everything else is optional if you think about it.

Let's face it we are a nation of consumers and it has been that way for quite some time. We are like druggies we can't just stop we have to be weened off off our drug otherwise we are doomed to fail.

How do we do this?

To start reevaluate everything you spend money on and start with the really simple stuff...like that magazine subscription you never actually READ - cancel that. Actually subscriptions are the best place in general to start paring down. Get rid of magazines, memberships and subscriptions. I used to a be member of a bunch of stuff and had a ton of magazine subscriptions.

I have a total of three subscriptions now:NRA Member - Gets me American Rifleman magazineSubscription to Popular MechanicsNetflix 2 at a time unlimited subscription.

That is it....

Get rid of ALL your credit cards except one. The wife and I each have a debit card and an American Express, that is it. We pay the entire balance of the American Express off EVERY month without fail.

If you own a home pay the equivalent of 1 extra payment a year by paying a little extra each month. For example if your payment is $1200 bucks send $1300. That extra $100 dollars adds up to one extra payment a year. That will shave 7 YEARS off your mortgage and could potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest.

Start an emergency fund and have the money come out of your check automatically. This is not the cash on hand type of emergency fund but the 3-6 months livings expense because I lost my job type emergency fund. Start with as much as you can and have it go into a separate bank account from the rest of your money and DON'T TOUCH IT. Let it continue to build until it is the equivalent of 3-6 months worth of bills. This will be your insurance policy against job lost and could prevent you from entering the downward spiral many people experience when they have a sustained period of unemployment.

Once that is fully funded start your, the car needs a new transmission and I am screwed emergency fund. I typically keep this in the same account as my other emergency fund but seperate the two logically. If I need $20,000 to have 3-6 months living expenses everything over that is the everyday emergency fund. In other words don't let that account drop below your set amount, but certainly tap it if you have the need. If you don't have to touch it all the better, you will be in a good position when a true emergency arises.

This all could take time and in the cases of emergency funds years to reach...the key is you'll never reach the goal if you don't START!

Most food storage calculations encourage families to store about 60 lbs. of sugar per person per year. This total can include honey, molasses, jell-o, jams and jellies, or corn syrup too. Agave is another great sweetener to consider for long-term food storage. If you haven’t tried agave, you need to! A friend who is battling breast cancer, and really watching her diet and nutrition, introduced me to agave about two years ago. Agave nectar comes from a plant that is similar to an aloe vera plant. There are light and dark / amber varieties. The light is similar to a mild-flavored honey. I stir it into my oatmeal. The amber is slightly stronger, somewhat similar to maple syrup, and especially good for use in barbecue sauces. It is a near-perfect sweetener for a lot of reasons. It is low on the glycemic index scale making it great for diabetics, and for others looking to reduce their sugar intake. It is very similar to honey in taste and consistency, so it is sweeter than sugar, and can be substituted for sugar in smaller quantities for reduced caloric intake. To substitute agave for sugar in baked goods, use 1/2 cup agave for 1 cup sugar in the recipe. This link provides even more detailed directions for substitutions (and the site has other interesting facts about agave) :

I won’t get on my soapbox, but I loathe artificial sweeteners, so I love that agave is a natural and healthful sugar replacement. The bonus food storage benefit is that agave doesn’t crystallize like honey does. It has a long, almost indefinite shelf-life. I have found that agave is quite pricey locally, so I order mine from Amazon in bulk, which is typically on sale. Here is a link to their agave products:

Let’s face it as survivors there just might be a time when we would need to build a fort out in the woods away from prying eyes. The problem that we might encounter is how do we start? One point worth keeping in mind with this project is the more brush and trees that you use in its construction the better you will be. When planning your fort you will want to build something that will not stick out like a sore thumb.

Our first goal will be to locate a good place to build your fort in the woods. You will want to avoid any locations that are close to the roads as it would then be very easy for someone to see you. A location that is deep in heavy woods would be your best approach here. It might be a little hard for you to get into the area but it is certain to pay off in the end. Clean your selected area out very well and remove any debris that you find. Remember this is the place where you are going to sleep so you certainly do not want anything sticking you in the back.

A good round figure to use for your fort size would be twelve square feet. This should provide you with plenty of room. After you have determined what size fort you plan to have you should begin grabbing up various branches and stick them into the ground to create your initial walls. The more you hide your fort the better you will be prepared. Make sure you have a door leading into the fort even if it is nothing more then a crawl door.

With your walls constructed it is now time to put the roof onto the housing. Start the roof installation by laying branches across the walls that you have erected. Make sure that you get enough to keep yourself warm however you should make sure that your walls can support the added weight.

Adding a door to your newly constructed fort is the easy part of this project. All you will really need to do is to flop a blanket over the opening or if you so desire you can create a door made out of sticks. This kind of door is sure to help hide your fort also.

Now your fort is made and you are ready to use the fort. Remember fires can easily start here and you should use candles that put out very little flame or another idea may perhaps be to use flashlights. Light can easily be seen at night so I would recommend that everyone use caution when using lights at night.